Fabinho on the Move? Al Ittihad Signals a January Sweep for the Brazilian Maestro
12 December 2025
Club Decision on Fabinho
Al Ittihad has settled its position on Brazilian midfielder Fabinho Tavares, whose contract with the Tigers ends at the close of the current season.
The Brazilian can sign with any club in January and move to a new club in the following summer on a free transfer.
Context and Career
According to the Saudi newspaper Today, the club administration has decided to part ways with Fabinho in the upcoming winter window, aiming to recoup a sale price and search for a foreign player in the same midfield role.
Earlier, coach Sérgio Conceição reportedly asked the club to extend the contracts of Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté, but he did not insist on Fabinho’s extension despite his recent resurgence.
Fabinho, now 32, joined Al Ittihad from Liverpool in the summer of 2023 for about £40 million and helped lead the Tigers to league and cup titles last season.
The Brazilian has featured in 83 matches for the club, scoring 5 goals and providing 7 assists.
Punchline 1: If Fabinho leaves, who will guard the midfield smoothie bar during halftime? No worries—the fans will still sip tea and dream of goals.
Punchline 2: In football and comedy alike, timing is everything—January is coming, and so is a new chapter for Al Ittihad’s engine room.
